Small Town Mysteries

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TW: Domestic violence

This week's episode involves the town of Libby, Montana, which has had its fair share of tragedy over the years. Kate dives into a bit of history surrounding the town, then focuses on the heart-wrenching case of Sheena Devine, a 30-year-old mother of two who was killed by an ex-boyfriend. 
This might seem to be just an ordinary case, but after listening to this episode, we are positive you will understand why this one was so important to cover. 

If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence and needs help, please visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website at thehotline.org for resources and assistance. If you are unable to use the website to live chat, you can call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788. All help is fully confidential and available 24/7 to those who need it. Everyone deserves happy and healthy relationships–there’s no mystery about that. 

Sources: 
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libby,_Montana
2) http://montanian.com/top-stories/brutal-murder-shocks-libby/
3) http://montanian.com/top-stories/mercier-convicted-of-deliberate-homicide/
4) https://www.montanarightnow.com/news/police-libby-murder-was-domestic-violence/article_dedf2700-af14-5374-bec4-a798727be0df.html
5) https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2017/oct/13/convicted-murderer-sentenced-to-life-6/
6) https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2017/10/13/northwestern-montana-man-gets-life-prison-murder/106590730/
7) https://casetext.com/case/state-v-mercier-27
8) https://www.montanarightnow.com/news/libby-man-charged-with-murder-of-30-year-old-woman/article_743dfcb4-eadd-54b5-a5c3-86fbf7f4fcab.html

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A true crime episode TWICE this week? YES. 

Rachael talks about true crime in the Bridgewater Triangle in this episode. Several murders, including the well-known murder of Mary Lou Arruda, are discussed. 
We also talk about (and get very angry about) the rape of Cheryl Ann Araujo, which occurred in a bar (and yes, there were multiple people in the bar who did absolutely nothing). Her case was actually one of the first to be publicly televised, and inspired the movie, The Accused, which featured Jodie Foster as Cheryl.
Lesser known and unsolved murders, assaults, and missing person cases are also discussed.

Sources: 
1) https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/crime/2008/09/25/conviction-upheld-for-man-who/40363654007/
2) https://www.wcvb.com/article/with-death-of-mary-lou-arruda-s-killer-raynham-hopes-wounds-will-heal/8231151
3) https://themorbidlibrary.com/2020/03/30/murdered-the-bridgewater-triangle-part-iv/
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheryl_Araujo
5) https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/se-mass/freetown-police-searching-for-car-involved-in-deadly-hit-and-run-last-year/
6) https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/topic/93244-freetown-state-forest/
7) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-sun/2015/03/25/bodies-found-in-brockton-woods/34902023007/
8) https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/crime/2014/12/31/gruesome-discovery-shocks-brockton-man/35622917007/
9) https://fletchermarple.com/post/137633110144/the-mystery-of-two-women-and-a-potential-serial
10) https://www.wcvb.com/article/brockton-killer-likely-did-it-before-may-do-it-again-experts-say/8215074
11) http://www.truecrimedeadline.com/episode-show-notes/previous/3
12) https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/03/01/closer-look-louis-coleman-man-charged-connection-with-murder-jassy-correia/lNX6LBiDUdvfcJ51HiNpeJ/story.html
13) https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ma-jassy-correia-23-last-seen-at-club-venu-phone-shut-off-boston-24-feb-2019-arrest.427946/page-10
14) https://unsolvednews.substack.com/p/a-serial-killer-at-work
15) https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/louis-coleman-iii-convicted-federal-jury-kidnapping-resulting-death
16) https://www.masslive.com/police-fire/2022/05/louis-d-coleman-iii-accused-of-kidnapping-and-killing-23-year-old-jassy-correia-heads-to-trial-in-boston.html
17) ​​https://nypost.com/2022/06/02/louis-coleman-guilty-of-kidnapping-murder-of-boston-mom/
18) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ma-supreme-judicial-court/1038292.html
19) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-news-independent/2016/01/26/no-tears-in-raynham-on/987501007/
20) https://apnews.com/article/348f4ce7d6d08d260c7cc15b8718b48d
21) https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/law-magazines/new-bedford-rape-trial-1984
22) https://www.850wftl.com/first-the-accuser-book-now-netflix-features-big-dans-rape-trials/
23) https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/2020/05/13/new-netflix-series-puts-spotlight/1208033007/
24) https://www.westfield.ma.edu/historical-journal/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-Winter-Michael-New-Bedfords-Infamous-1983-Rape-Case.pdf
25) https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a32585426/cheryl-araujo-trial-by-media-true-story/

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Tune in to this week's episode to hear Rachael talk about a possible serial killer in Brockton, Massachusetts...or is it two different killers, using the same dumping ground? 
Authorities have connected this potential serial killer's DNA to several rapes as well, though no successful matches have come from it. 
Rachael connects this to the 2019 kidnapping and murder of Jassy Correia which happened in downtown Boston. When the killer's picture was released, there was an influx of calls from people who thought he looked identical to a sketch of this supposed Brockton serial killer. 

Jassy Correia's killer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole only a few days prior to the release of this episode.

Sources:
1) https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2022/10/11/louis-coleman-life-sentence-prison-kidnapping-death-jassy-correia/
2) https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/03/01/donations-pour-2-year-old-daughter-boston-victim-found-delaware/3026361002/
3) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-sun/2015/03/25/bodies-found-in-brockton-woods/34902023007/
4) https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/crime/2014/12/31/gruesome-discovery-shocks-brockton-man/35622917007/
5) https://fletchermarple.com/post/137633110144/the-mystery-of-two-women-and-a-potential-serial
6) https://www.wcvb.com/article/brockton-killer-likely-did-it-before-may-do-it-again-experts-say/8215074
7) http://www.truecrimedeadline.com/episode-show-notes/previous/3
8) https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/03/01/closer-look-louis-coleman-man-charged-connection-with-murder-jassy-correia/lNX6LBiDUdvfcJ51HiNpeJ/story.html
9) https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ma-jassy-correia-23-last-seen-at-club-venu-phone-shut-off-boston-24-feb-2019-arrest.427946/page-10
10) https://unsolvednews.substack.com/p/a-serial-killer-at-work
11) https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/louis-coleman-iii-convicted-federal-jury-kidnapping-resulting-death
12) https://www.masslive.com/police-fire/2022/05/louis-d-coleman-iii-accused-of-kidnapping-and-killing-23-year-old-jassy-correia-heads-to-trial-in-boston.html
13) ​​https://nypost.com/2022/06/02/louis-coleman-guilty-of-kidnapping-murder-of-boston-mom/
14) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ma-supreme-judicial-court/1038292.html
15) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-news-independent/2016/01/26/no-tears-in-raynham-on/987501007/
16) https://apnews.com/article/348f4ce7d6d08d260c7cc15b8718b48d

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This is the second episode of our October series! 
In this one, Rachael discusses all things folklore and paranormal. She covers The Freetown State Forest, the Taunton State Hospital, and the legend of Pukwudgies (which culminates in a tantalizing discussion surrounding...strawberry bread? It'll all make sense in the end, trust me).

There's mention of Big Foot (because how could there not be?), UFOs, and several different ghosts, each with very different personalities and methods of inducing fear.

This is very likely our most unhinged episode thus far. You've been warned!

Sources: 
1) https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/accident/2020/06/15/wareham-man-medflighted-after-jumping-from-ledge-in-freetown/42908547/
2) https://www.swordandscale.com/the-bridgewater-triangle/
3) https://wbsm.com/taunton-state-jolly-jane-female-serial-killer/
4)https://bridgewaterpubliclibrary.org/sites/bridgewaterpubliclibrary.org/files/attachments/01_TriangleCollection_001-merged-compressed.pdf
5) https://themorbidlibrary.com/2020/03/30/murdered-the-bridgewater-triangle-part-iv/
6) https://wickedxcrime.wordpress.com/2020/11/28/episode-sixteen-murder-monsters-and-mysteries-inside-the-bridgewater-triangle/
7) https://www.maryannpoll.com/mary-ann-s-blog/haunted-destinations-freetown-fall-river-state-forest-massachusetts/
8) https://southcoastmurdersmysteries.weebly.com/freetown2.html
9) https://the-line-up.com/the-most-haunted-forest-in-america
10) https://www.ranker.com/list/bridgewater-triangle-stories/laura-allan
11) http://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2016/04/ghosts-of-assonet-ledge.html
12) https://www.swordandscale.com/the-bridgewater-triangle/
13) https://www.theyankeexpress.com/2022/05/10/399962/creatures-of-the-bridgewater-triangle-part-1
14) https://globalbizarre.com/bridgewater-triangle/
15) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/archive/2007/10/30/man-falls-to-his-death/38126441007/
16) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loren_Coleman
17) https://www.heraldnews.com/story/news/2016/01/22/195-things-freetown-ledge-will/32715363007/

Books:
1) Ghosts of Bridgewater Triangle by Christopher Balanzo 
2) Mysterious America by Loren Coleman 
3) Monsters of Massachusetts: Mysterious Creatures in the Bay State by Loren Coleman 

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A family purchases a house in an affluent neighborhood and only three days later begins to receive eerie and threatening letters from someone who calls themselves "The Watcher".  
Kate did some great research on this one, and goes into the details of the case, the investigation, and theories (because, yup: it's still unsolved). 

You don't want to miss this one!

Sources:
1) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/the-watcher-netflix-stalker-new-jersey-b2175373.html
2) https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/real-estate/a28680321/657-boulevard-westfield-new-jersey-watcher-house-sold/
3) https://www.thecut.com/article/the-haunting-of-657-boulevard-in-westfield-new-jersey.html
4) https://nj1015.com/the-watcher-house-on-netflix-what-really-happened/
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westfield,_New_Jersey 

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This is the first episode of our Bridgewater Triangle Series!!!
Kate provides historical context for why many believe the Bridgewater Triangle is a hotspot of paranormal activity. She talks about the Native American land that the swamp is in, King Philip's War, and about a BUNCH of different rocks (these are cool, interesting rocks, we promise). Kate also delves into different theories for the origin of the mysterious inscriptions that are found on some of these rocks.

Sources:
1) “Hockomock: Place Where the Spirits Dwell” by Peter Tower
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wampanoag
3) https://openlibrary.org/books/OL26124680M/Haunted_Objects_Stories_Of_Ghosts_On_Your_Shelf
4) https://web.archive.org/web/20071026061648/http://www.historyplace.com/specials/kingphilip.htm
5) https://web.archive.org/web/20070527112525/http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/10/30/the_old_haunting_grounds/
6) http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/10/30/tales_from_the_swamp/https://web.archive.org/web/20171014083258/http://www.thebridgewatertriangle.com/2013/12/hockomock-swamp_2.html?m=1
7) http://www.strange-new-england.com/2015/10/22/ministers-rock/ 

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54-year old Colonel Philip Shue left to go to work on the morning of April 16, 2003. He left an hour earlier than usual, at 5:30AM, in order to get a jumpstart on some paperwork. He made his wife, Tracy, coffee, kissed her, and said “I love you”. The next report of Shue is from two witnesses who saw him driving his vehicle on the highway, going around 60mph. After swerving from one lane to another, his car eventually hit a tree. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they noticed several oddities about this particular accident. First, Shue's shirt is ripped from his chest to his navel. Shue’s nipples were cut off. There was an almost 6-inch slash on his chest, and he was missing part of his finger. Shue also had duct tape around both of his arms and ankles. 
The case was determined to be a suicide.

Listen to this week's episode in order to find out why, for many people, this case is still unsolved.

Sources:
1) https://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/BCME_autopsy.pdf 
2) https://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/first_warning_note.pdf 
3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0itSpglLimo 
4) https://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/psychological_autopsy.pdf 
5)https://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?ID=155997&cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person 

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Christine opens up the episode with a new segment. Each week, we will be briefly reporting on a recent missing child case, as we all feel that it is important to spread awareness for cases that may not be getting the recognition they deserve.
During the main segment this week, Kate tackles a couple of different hate crimes relating to the arsons of several Jewish-affiliated buildings. She also goes over some very interesting aspects of how hate crimes are charged and categorized. If someone commits a hate crime, is it also a hate crime if a person covers for them? 
Rachael (who is Jewish) leads an important discussion on acts of anti-semitism that she and others have faced. 

Sources:
1) https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/massachusetts-man-indicted-obstructing-investigation-fires-jewish-affiliated-institutions
2) https://www.masslive.com/boston/2022/02/alexander-giannakakis-arrested-in-sweden-accused-of-misleading-authorities-in-massachusetts-investigating-2019-fires-set-at-jewish-institutions.html
3) https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/bja/162304.pdf
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime#United_States
5) https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics

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Marise was only 9 years old when she was brutally murdered in Hazleton, Pennsylvania in 1964. Despite being found the same day that she disappeared, Marise's murder was unsolved for FIFTY-SEVEN YEARS.  Just this year, in 2022, her killer was found through DNA testing. This is the fourth oldest cold case to be solved using genetic genealogy in the United States and the oldest in the state of Pennsylvania. 

Sources:
1) https://www.timesleader.com/news/1539205/who-was-james-paul-forte-suspected-killer-left-few-clues
2) https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/this-is-marises-story-family-investigators-share-emotions-as-hazleton-cold-case-is-solved/523-77ac08cf-0923-43d1-9ab3-a35d3b3bd98a
3) https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-monday-edition-1.6350961/how-a-genealogist-helped-solve-the-murder-of-a-girl-from-nearly-60-years-ago-1.6350962
4) https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/1964-murder-of-marise-ann-chiverella-solved-pennsylvania-authorities-say
5) https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/us/hazleton-pennsylvania-cold-case-solved-trnd/index.html
6) https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/02/14/marise-chiverella-cold-case-pennsylvania/
7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazleton,_Pennsylvania
8) https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/picture-gallery/opinion/2022/02/24/two-towns-two-murders/6837615001/
9) https://genwhypod.com/blogs/the-generation-why-podcast-blog/killer-of-1964-child-murderer-identified-the-marise-chiverella-case
10) https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/woman-recalls-forte-he-wouldnt-leave-it-marise-chiverella-hazleton-cold-case/523-169b9f9a-58f7-4076-9cf9-d431aacc7c1a

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On March 9,  2018, a veteran entered the The Pathway Home, a residential treatment facility offering care to veterans, armed with the intention to kill multiple employees. Rachael talks about the victims of this crime: Christine Loeber, Jennifer Golick, and Jennifer Gonzalez Shushereba. She delves into their lives prior to the tragedy and discusses the tangible marks they left on their communities, even after their passing. Lastly, we close with a discussion regarding veterans and mental health, and Rachael provides statistics that will leave you speechless.

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